Fredinburg was head of privacy at Google X, an advisor on Project Loon, and the co-founder of The Laundry SF and Save the Ice. He launched Google Adventure Team, an effort to map geological areas and formations on Earth at a similar level of detail to Google Earth's street-level view of cities, towns, and other populated areas. Fredinburg was co-inventor of more than a dozen software technologies that were patented by Google. Prior to working at Google, Fredinburg worked on future combat systems in the defense industry at Boeing.
Expeditions
Although non-disclosure agreements prevented Google from commenting on the "two or three different Google projects” related to Fredinburg's expedition work, at a minimum, he was one of four company employees documenting Mount Everest ascent routes for a Google Earth-type project. In a 2013 interview for Time magazine, Fredinburg explained the company's goal as "Different adventurers and people who want to explore from the comfort of their homes have the opportunity to explore and see these different corners of the world." According to The Independent, Fredinburg's job title at the time was "Google 'I' adventurer", and the project goal was to offer the experience of climbing the world's highest mountains to people who, "lack the willingness to actually, like, climb a mountain." On April 24, 2015, Fredinburg unrolled a banner on top of Kala Patthar, for the climate change cause SaveTheIce.org. Fredinburg, who had been on the mountain for three weeks and who had spoken of his narrow escape from the 2014 Mount Everest avalanche which killed 16 Nepalese guides, was one of four American citizens killed in the 2015 Mount Everest-South Base Camp disaster, following the 2015 Nepal earthquake. Five Sherpas carried Fredinburg's body down the mountain, to a U.S. Army Special Forces helicopter evacuating climbers several days after the avalanche. Although he had not yet reached the summit of Everest, the highest peak in Asia, Fredinburg had topped four of the Seven Summits using the same pair of hiking boots, including Mount Elbrus in Europe, Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, and Aconcagua in South America, all three of which he had photographed for Google. Fredinburg likened Aconcagua to a "gates of hell" experience, telling Time there were mule skeletons sticking up out of the ground. Fredinburg also climbed the difficult and relatively inaccessible Puncak Jaya, the highest peak in Oceania, and was briefly jailed after descending into the nearby Grasberg mine.
Social causes
In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, Fredinburg organized a relief effort in New York City, Staten Island, with the aim to support victims of the storm who became homeless. A 2014 SaveTheIce.org project in the Baltic states was featured in the Discovery Digital Networks production In the Making. Fredinburg founded The Laundry, a San Francisco-based business incubator geared towards building a community and productive environment for social impact.
Personal life
Fredinburg dated actress Sophia Bush from 2013 to 2014. The two remained close friends after breaking up. Upon learning of Fredinburg's death, Bush stated, "There are no adequate words. Dan Fredinburg was one-of-a-kind. Fearless. Funny. I'm devastated and simultaneously so deeply grateful to have known and loved him."
Legacy
A Crowdrise page set up raised approximately $100,000 for relief in Nepal. A 5013 foundation was created in Fredinburg's name; "Dan Fredinburg Foundation" aims to raise funds indefinitely to power social movements around invention, adventure, and action. LiveDan, a campaign website, was launched to promote the principles which guided Fredinburg's life. A new building at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts called the Creativity and Innovation Complex is being constructed and is set to open in 2019. The first floor will be named the Dan Fredinburg Technology Center in memory of ASMSA Class of 1999 alumnus Dan Fredinburg.
